Symptom guide

Why Is My Dog Coughing? Types of Cough and What They Mean

Honking, hacking, wet or night-time coughs: what different coughs can mean in dogs, from kennel cough to heart disease, and when a cough needs a vet.

Updated October 2026 · 7 min read · By the Hushku editorial team · 3 sources

See a vet within 24 hours. Vet within days; emergency if breathing is laboured

Short answer

A honking cough in a dog that's otherwise bright, especially after kennels, daycare or a dog park, is most often kennel cough, which usually clears in 1 to 3 weeks. See a vet if the cough lasts more than a week, if your dog is lethargic, off food or has a fever, or if the cough happens at night or at rest in an older dog. Any breathing difficulty, blue or pale gums, or collapse is an emergency.

Key facts

Kennel cough usually clears in 1–3 weeks in healthy adult dogs.
Coughing at night or at rest in older small dogs can be a sign of heart disease.
Toy breeds with a 'goose honk' cough may have a collapsing trachea.
Over 30–40 breaths a minute while asleep needs a vet.

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. If your pet seems unwell, or you're worried, call your vet.

Overview

Coughing is a reflex that clears the airways, so the occasional cough after drinking or pulling on the lead is nothing to worry about. A cough that keeps coming back, though, is a sign that something is irritating the throat, airways, lungs or heart.

It helps to describe the cough to your vet. Is it dry or wet? Does it sound like a goose honk? Does it happen at night, after exercise, when excited, or after eating or drinking? A short video on your phone is very useful.

Is it really a cough? Reverse sneezing, a sudden noisy snorting through the nose, is often mistaken for coughing or choking. It's usually harmless. Gagging and retching can also look like coughing; unproductive retching with a swollen belly in a large dog may be bloat, which is an emergency.

Go to a vet now if you see

Struggling to breathe, breathing with the belly, or breathing with the mouth open at rest
Blue, grey or very pale gums or tongue
Collapse or fainting, especially during coughing
Coughing up blood
Choking, pawing at the mouth or sudden violent gagging
Retching without producing anything, with a swollen belly (possible bloat)

Common causes

1. Kennel cough (canine infectious respiratory disease)
Usually mild
A harsh, honking cough, often ending with a gag, after contact with other dogs. Most dogs stay bright and recover in 1 to 3 weeks, but puppies, older dogs and flat-faced breeds can develop pneumonia.
2. Collapsing trachea
Needs a vet
Common in toy breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas. A goose-honk cough triggered by excitement, pulling on a collar or drinking. Use a harness instead of a collar.
3. Heart disease
Serious
In older small-breed dogs especially, heart valve disease can enlarge the heart and lead to fluid on the lungs. Coughing at night or at rest, tiring easily and faster breathing are warning signs.
4. Pneumonia
Serious
A wet, productive cough with fever, lethargy and poor appetite. It can follow kennel cough or inhaling food or vomit.
5. Heartworm
Serious
A mild, persistent cough and tiring on walks in dogs not on prevention. Spread by mosquitoes and found across the US.
6. Chronic bronchitis and allergies
Needs a vet
A long-standing dry cough in middle-aged dogs, sometimes worse with smoke, dust or air fresheners.
7. Something stuck or inhaled
Serious
A sudden, violent cough or gagging may mean a grass seed, stick or food is caught in the throat or airways.
8. Lung tumours
Serious
Less common, mainly in older dogs, and sometimes spread from cancer elsewhere.

What you can do at home

Rest your dog and avoid strenuous exercise while it's coughing.
Walk on a harness rather than a collar to take pressure off the windpipe.
Keep coughing dogs away from other dogs until they've been clear for at least a week or two, as kennel cough is contagious.
Avoid smoke, aerosols and dusty environments.
Count your dog's breaths while it sleeps: over 30 to 40 breaths a minute at rest needs a vet.
Don't give human cough medicines; some contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs.

When to see a vet

A cough lasting more than a week, or getting worse
Coughing in a puppy, an older dog or a flat-faced breed
Coughing with fever, lethargy, poor appetite or a wet sound
Coughing at night or at rest, or a fast resting breathing rate
Any cough in a dog not on heartworm prevention

Prevention

Keep vaccines up to date, including Bordetella and parainfluenza if your dog goes to kennels, daycare, grooming or shows
Give heartworm prevention every month, all year
Use a harness for small breeds and dogs that pull
Keep your dog at a healthy weight, which helps the heart and airways

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Sources

We check guides against veterinary sources and update them when guidance changes. How we write and review.

Questions.

Can my dog give kennel cough to me or my cat?

Kennel cough is mostly spread between dogs. Bordetella bronchiseptica can infect cats and, very rarely, people with weakened immune systems, so wash hands and keep a coughing dog's bowls separate.

Why does my dog cough after drinking water?

Occasional coughing after gulping water is common. Frequent coughing after drinking, especially in a toy breed, can be a sign of a collapsing trachea or a swallowing problem.

Why does my old dog cough at night?

Night-time or resting coughs in older dogs can be a sign of heart disease. Your vet can listen for a murmur and may recommend chest X-rays.

Key facts

Overview

Go to a vet now if you see

Common causes

1. Kennel cough (canine infectious respiratory disease)

2. Collapsing trachea

3. Heart disease

4. Pneumonia

5. Heartworm

6. Chronic bronchitis and allergies

7. Something stuck or inhaled

8. Lung tumours